Charles de la Motte

Charles, Marquis de la Motte (died 1503) was a French nobleman who led troops during the Italian Wars. He believed that his army was superior to that of the Papal States and he initiated a race against some of Cesare Borgia's horsemen at Barletta. However, his army lost the race, proving that his claims were purely arrogant.

Biography
Charles de la Motte was a Marquis of the Kingdom of France, and due to his noble rank, he was given command of a French army dispatched to Italy during the War of Naples (1499-1503). De la Motte fought against Spain in southern Italy in the Naples and Apulia regions, and at Barletta in 1503 he attempted to prove the superiority of his army by initiating a race with Papal States Captain-General Cesare Borgia's troops. However, the Assassin Order dusted his men's supplies with poison, reducing their performance and allowing Borgia to crush de la Motte's claims in a rigged race.

De la Motte was later invited to head to Rome with his French army, but they proved to be rapacious barbarians, stealing from the civilians and beating them up. De la Motte's men were ignored by the Papal States guards, and if the Papacy turned their heads, there was no saying what de la Motte's men could do to Rome. Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an assassin, tracked De la Motte down and assassinated him, preventing French damage to the city.